James s



1.8. LESTER.

Running-Gear for Railway Cars.

No. 143,516. Patented Oct. 7,1873.

WI TJV' ESSES 1.7V VENTOR AMP/10TH -U7l/06'MPHIO (0. M Nassau/15's moans) V ATES JAMES s. LESTER, or ATLANTA, eEonerA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF Ann ALVIN s. woRsHAM. g g

' I ROVEMENT IN RUNNING-GEARS FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 143, 5 l6, dated October 7,1873, application filed August 1; 1873. A

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES S. LESTER, of Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and in the State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Track and Car; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

My invention relates to railroads on which a single rail only is used; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of the rail, and also in the construction and arrangement of a car to run on said rail, whereby all danger of the car running off the track is entirely obviated, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which- Figure 1 is an end view of my rail and car. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of a part of the car, and Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the rail. u

A represents the rail, which is made in V shape, with the angle down .and base up, and supported upon ties or posts B at suitable intervals, the upper ends or sides of said posts or ties being cut out to allow the edge or angle of the rail to be sunk down into the same. The rail A is, between the posts, strengthened by means of stringers a, and, where it is necessary in spanning either ravines or streets, it is to be further supported by hog-chain and brace or other similar devices. The rail A is provided in the center on top with a metallic rail, 0, made in V shape, with the angle up and base down, as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 4. The side edges of the rail A may be lined with metal plates 12 b, as shown in Fig. 4, or this may be omitted, as desired. This peculiar shape of my track necessitates a corresponding shape of the car, or rather cartrucks, to run on the rail. For this purpose I construct the car in the following manner: The car has two trucks, each with five wheels. The center wheel D is beveled from each end inward to the center, formin g a V shaped groove around the wheel to fit over the metallic rail 0 in the center of the main rail A. At each end of this wheel is a smoothfaced wheel, E, to run on the surface of the rail A, between the edge and the center rail 0. Directly underneath the edge of the track, on each side, is a conical or other suitably-shaped wheel, G. The weight of the car is mainly, if not exclusively, supported by the wheel D upon the metal rail 0. The wheels E E balance the car properly, and the wheels G G prevent the car from running off the track. H is the platform or bottom of the car, made in the angular form shown in Fig. 1, and attached to both of said trucks. For passenger purposes the car will have two seats, I I, running lengthwise of the car and directly over the track, the seats being divided by a back, J, or partial partition. Suitable springs cl are interposed between the seats I I and the bottom H of the car.

In connection with the car thus constructed, Iuse a peculiarly-shaped brake-block, K. This block is provided with a V-shaped projection, e, which fits in the groove on the wheel D, and with straight side projections or wings ff, to bear against the wheels E E. The block K thus constructed is secured to a sliding bar, L, which is provided with a spring, h, arranged to throw or draw the brake-block away from the wheels. The brake-bar L is, by a chain, c, connected with one end of a lever, M, pivoted near the other end to the frame-work of the truck. This end is cogged, as shown, and is operated by a pinion, m, on the usual vertical shaft 0% for operating car-brakes.

N represents a cow-catcher, hinged at the front end of the car, and, by chains or rods S S, connected with the brake-bar L.

In case the cow-catcher should run against anything solid, it turns on its pivot and draws the brake onto the wheels with equal pressure, and thereby suddenly locks the wheels.

The rails A A are connected by dovetail lapjoints, as shown, or in any other suitable 'manner. I

FFIC EL Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure'by Letters Patent, is 4 v 1. The V shaped main rail A, supported upon ties or posts B B, and provided on its upper surface, in the center, with an inverted- V-shaped metallic rail 0, and with or without the side-edge plates 1) 12, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. A railroadcar truck provided with a center wheel, D, having a V-shaped circumferential groove, a smooth-faced wheel, E, at each end of the center wheel D, and a wheel, G, at each side underneath, all substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. The brake-block K, provided with projections 0 and f f, and used in combination with the wheels D and E E of a car-truck, as and for the purposes herein set forth. 4:- The car-truck described, having a central wheel, D, adapted to run on the rail 0, wheels E E adapted to run on the upper surface of the main rail, and wheels Gr Gr adapted to run on the inclined sides of the rail, all substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth. In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of July, 1873.

JAMES S. LESTER. Witnesses:

A. S. WORSHAM, D. F. WILLsoN. 

